'Anthem' Is EA's Answer To 'Destiny' And That Doesn't Make Any Sense

Anthem looks really cool. The new game from BioWare lets you strap into an exo-suit and fly, like Superman, through the jungles and lakes and lightning storms of a giant open world.

It's a science fiction action game with gorgeous graphics and lots of shooting that you can play with friends. If the reveal is anything to go by, you can have a squad of four 'Freelancers' go out into the world and take on missions, explore, and loot stuff.

It's EA's answer to Destiny, the shared-world shooter from Bungie and Activision. And it makes no sense whatsoever. As good-looking as it looks, and it sure is a looker, I just can't wrap my brain around this game as a BioWare title. BioWare makes narrative-driven RPGs. This looks nothing at all like a narrative-driven RPG. It looks like a grindy action shooter.

There's nothing at all wrong with a grindy action shooter. You can have a lot of fun with a grindy action shooter. I have a lot of fun with Destiny.

But! This is BioWare we're talking about! They should be making great RPGs. This is what Mass Effect: Andromeda should have looked like. Did you see the facial animations in Anthem? Top notch. Everything in that reveal looked beautiful and next-gen, as if all of BioWare's resources and top talent were devoted to this game and not Andromeda.

Maybe Anthem will be a major achievement, combining the things that make a co-op game like Destiny so much fun with the great, deep stories that have defined (and sometimes eluded) BioWare. But I remain...nervous. Hopeful but nervous.

I get the feeling from the reveal that Anthem plays really, really well. I bet it plays as nicely as it looks. The question I have is whether it will actually be a story-driven experience, playing to BioWare's strengths, or whether it's just a mish-mash of Destiny, Titanfall and Warframe. EA said today that new IP is about taking risks, and I hope they took some here. I just hope they took the right risks.

Time will tell, I suppose. I want to believe. But I always want to believe when it comes to BioWare, and lately they've been a little hit and miss.

I cover the video game industry, write about gamers, and review video games.
You can follow me on Twitter and hit me up there if you have any questions or comments you'd like to chat about.
I'd love it if you followed me on Twitter and Facebook and subscribed to my cha...